Download Weathering Interactive Lab

How are materials from the Earth broken down??
Name __________________________________
Online Interactive
7th grade Science – SAMS
Background:
Conditions and processes in the environment cause stone and other earth materials to break apart.
Weathering is the term used to describe the breaking of rocks into smaller fragments. Weathering changes
things around us gradually over long periods of time. Over millions of years, it wears mountains down into
hills. Weathering affects both naturally formed rocks and human-made structures such as buildings and
streets. Weathering is different from erosion in that weathering describes changes that occur in place.
Erosion is a term used to describe the removal and transport of earth materials from one location to another.
Purpose:
In this Virtual Lab, you will examine the effects of two kinds of weathering: mechanical and chemical.
Mechanical wreathing breaks apart rocks without changing their chemical composition. The growth of
vegetation like tree roots and ice wedging can lead to mechanical weathering. Chemical weathering is where
water, air, and other substances react with each other, or minerals in rocks, and change the chemical
composition of the mineral.
Lab Objective:
 Identify the different types of conditions for mechanical and chemical weathering of earth materials.
 Observe how different weathering conditions effect earth materials.
Background: Define the following terms
Weathering
Data Collection:
Mechanical weathering
Chemical weathering
How are materials from the earth broken down?
Scene #1
Description before Weathering
Weathering
effect
Changes after Weathering
Mechanical or
Chemical
Scene #2
Description before Weathering
Weathering
effect
Changes after Weathering
Mechanical or
Chemical
Scene #3
Scene #4
Analysis and Conclusion:
1. What effect might small burrowing animals and earthworms have on rocks and soil in the ground?
2. Is it possible for any of the scenes to be affected by both mechanical and chemical weathering? If so,
describe the scene and both weathering effects.